Deoxys first appeared in the 2004 video games Ruby and Sapphire, accessible via a Nintendo promotional event. It played a major role in the film Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys later that year. It has since appeared in several video games and the Pokémon anime series. The Pokémon has also been featured in official merchandise and a collaboration with NASA, and has received positive remarks from critics.

Deoxys emerged from an extraterrestrialvirus after exposure to a laser beam. It has a crystalline organ on its chest which is considered to serve as its brain[6] and can also eject lasers.[7] Overall, it has an agile body configured for speed.[8] Deoxys is unique among Pokémon for its ability to change freely between forms, of which it has four: Attack, Defense, Speed, and Normal. These forms differ by base stat values, effort value yield, and appearance.[5] In the Game Boy Advance games, Deoxys's Forme depended on the game version it was in. Meanwhile, Deoxys's form is changed in later games by having it in the player's party and: touching certain meteorites in Veilstone City in Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum;[9] interacting with meteorites on Route 3 in Pokémon HeartGold andSoulSilver, inspecting the meteorite in the Nacrene City museum in Pokémon Black and White; or interacting with the meteorites found in the Ambrette Town museum in Pokemon X and Pokemon Y.and Interacting with a meteorite in a house in Fallabador town in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.

Deoxys's Pokémon game series debut is in 2004's Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen. After visiting a Nintendo promotional event, the player activates the "Mystery Gift" gameplay option, then visits an in-game PokéMart location and inputs the text "LINK TOGETHER WITH ALL" on a questionnaire. This unlocks an island where the Pokémon is found.[10] Deoxys was distributed to Diamond and Pearl players at GameStop locations in June 2008.[11]

In Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, for the first time ever Deoxys is available within the game without the need for a promotional event; Deoxys is available at the end of the Delta Episode after beating the game for the first time, the player must first capture Rayquaza at Sky Pillar at Level 70 to progress with the storyline, after capturing it Rayquaza takes the player into space to stop an incoming meteor, as soon as it is destroyed Deoxys's famous triangle can be seen performing the same pattern that the player on Pokemon Fire Red and Pokemon Leaf Green has to perform to summon Deoxys, this time round Deoxys is at level 80 and at par with Arceus for the highest level legendary Pokemon encountered on any Pokemon Game. Should the player fail to capture Deoxys then the player will be given a second and final chance to capture it, the player must first defeat the Elite Four for the 2nd time, after this the player must return to Sky Pillar, at the same spot where Rayquaza was caught Deoxys will be waiting there instead and once again at Level 80.

Deoxys's Pokémon anime canonical debut is in the 2004 film Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys. A mysterious green crystalline organ fell to earth in a meteorite which later turned into a Deoxys. A second Deoxys (with a purple crystalline organ) came to earth to search for it but ended up in a battle with Rayquaza. As Pokémon Emerald had not been released when the movie was produced, only its Defense, Normal and Attack Formes appeared.

In Pokémon Adventures Deoxys plays a major role in the events of the FireRed & LeafGreen chapter.

One set of Pokémon trading cards is named "Deoxys EX", created as an homage to Destiny Deoxys. Deoxys's Attack, Normal, and Defense forms each occupy separate cards in this set. The three have different attacks and can be switched for each other each turn via their "Form Change" abilities.[15]

The character has received positive remarks from critics. In preview coverage of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, staff of GameSpy stated that "[t]his celestial-looking 'Mon is one of the coolest we've seen."[21]1UP.com wrote that Deoxys was "a nice consolation prize" in the wake of the newly introduced Darkrai, claiming that it looks "quite nice" in the visual style of My Pokémon Ranch.[11] A Nintendo World Report press release stated that "[t]he most exciting element of Deoxys is its uniqueness" owing to its different forms.[22] Staff of IGN called Deoxys "one of the most unique characters in the enthralling Pokémon … universe."[23]GamesRadar journalist Raymond Padilla stated that Deoxys, along with Rayquaza, was frightening in Destiny Deoxys but did not serve as a believable antagonist because its destructive actions amounted to "misunderstandings".[24]GamePro writer McKinley Noble praised the inclusion of Deoxys and Manaphy in Guardian Signs, adding that the ability to import them to other games was "the only reason I'm still trudging through the game."[25] IGN staff writer Jack DeVries ranked Deoxys 85th in IGN's list of the top 100 Pokémon, stating that its transformation "makes him unpredictable and dangerous in battle. Plus he looks like an anime robot villain."[26]

^Game Freak (2003). "Pokémon Ruby". Pokédex: The DNA of a space virus underwent a sudden mutation upon exposure to a laser beam and resulted in Deoxys. The crystalline organ on this POKéMON's chest appears to be its brain.

^Game Freak (2003). "Pokémon Sapphire". Pokédex: Deoxys emerged from a virus that came from space. It is highly intelligent and wields psychokinetic powers. This POKéMON shoots lasers from the crystalline organ on its chest.

^Game Freak (2005). "Pokémon Emerald". Pokédex: A POKéMON that mutated from an extraterrestrial virus exposed to a laser beam. Its body is configured for superior agility and speed.

^ abSora, Ltd.. "Super Smash Bros. Brawl". Trophy: A DNA Pokémon born through the DNA of a space virus. It has multiple forms, and the abilities it possesses and the techniques it can remember change from forme to forme. It has four forms: Normal, Attack, Defense, and Speed. It can be made to change forms by using the power of a meteorite in Veilstone City.